Collapsible utility stool and the like



April 9, 1963 c. G. ALEXIOU COLLAPSIBLE UTILITY STQOL AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 21, 1960 m m w Bfiddfihb Patented Apr. 9, 1953 FIG. shows a fragmentary and a vertically sectional view of the leg member, provided with a retractable resilient unit member for holding the leg end against the stool seat.

FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the conjoining collar for holding the leg members in an angular position.

FIG. 7 shows a vertically sectional view of the con- 3,084,896 COLLAPSEBLE UTILITY STOOL AND THE LIKE. Christos G. Alexiou, 6758 Yolanda Ave., Reseda, Calif. Filed Sept. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 57,577

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-4-31) 5 The invention relates to collapsible stools and the like devices, and more particularly to utility apparatus adapted joining collar, taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6. for securing means whereby same may be easily folded FIG. 8 shows the underside plan view of said utility into a compact form and then stored when not in use, 10 stool, similar in position as shown in FIG. 2, and showing and also for allowing same to be carried when required, the position of a handle in a modified form. and in addition for allowing same to be automatically Describing the invention more in detail, in its broader released from its folded position and into a usable and aspects, said invention comprises a stool generally desigserviceable stool. nated by numeral 2, which consists of a stool seat plate Manifestly, an object of the invention is to provide a 4 and a plurality of downwardly extending leg members stool, having a stool seat and at least three leg members 6 which are tubular in structure and held in an conjoined extending therefrom, wherein at least one of said leg position by means of acollecting collar member 8. members is pivotally mounted and secured at the under- Said stool seat plate 4 is made out of suitable material side section of said seat, while each of the remaining leg having a special design or pattern for providing an artistic members has avresilient or contra-ctive means associated 2O appearance and to be comfortable when in use, said plate therewith, for connecting each leg and said underside section of said seat and thereby for holding said leg members in position, and in addition, said leg members having a suitable collar means disposed at an approximately half so that said stool may be easily handled when required. The underside surface section 12 of said seat plate 4 is provided with a hinge 14, of which one hinge plate is length of said legs which is adapted for conjoining said firmly secured upon said surface section 12 by means of suitable fasteners, while the other hinge plate 18 of said hinge is attached to a tubular sleeve 20, which is conleg ends spread into a suitable pattern and when said nected to and extends from the upper end of one of said stool seat is in use. leg members 6 and thereby forming a hinged leg mem- Another object of the invention is to provide said underber 22. side sec-tion of said stool seat with means, adapted for The mid-section 24 of said hinged leg member 22 is locking and for holding said leg members in place and provided with said collecting collar member 8, the purwhen same are in a parallelly extended position. pose and the operation of which will be presently de- A further object of the invention is to provide said stool scribed and which is mounted thereon and held in place seat with means adapted for convenient handling thereof by means of a pivot pin member 25. and said leg members, and when same are in a parallelly Equally spaced at the underside surface section 12 of collapsed position. said seat plate 4 and away from said hinge member 14, Another object of the invention is to provide said stool are provided suitable anchor pins 26, each of which is seat in a suitable artistic pattern having a suitable cover allowed to pass through a suitable depression or pocket therefor, for securing a pleasant appearance for said stool section 28 and to which the upper end of a resilient leg membersat one point of intersection and thereby holding said legs firmly in place and position with the seat. member 30 is attached, said resilient member may, if so A further object of the invention is to provide said leg desired be made in form of a tension spring, elastic rubber members of said utility stool with suitably arranged or the like.

telescoping extensions, adapted for securing variable The outwardly extended end of said resilient member heights for said stool seat when in use, and also having 30 is slidably positioned within the upper tubular end suitable locking means therefor, so that said telescoping section 32 of the supporting leg members 34 and 36, each leg members may be held securely in place when in an end thereof is held in place and position by means of a extended position. mounting pin or rod 38, so that the tension of each resilient The invention also has for its objects to provide such member 30 may be allowed to force and draw said upmeans that are positive in operation, convenient in use, per end sections 32 of said supporting leg members 34 easily installed in a working position and easily discon-. and 36 against and into the respective pocket sections 28 nected therefrom, economical in manufacture, relatively thereby holding same tightly and firmly in place and posisimple, and of general superiority and serviceability. tion.

Other and further objects and advantages of the inven- Each supporting leg member 34 and 36 is held in a contion, as will hereinafter more fully appear, I attain by the joined position by means of said collecting collar memconstruction herein shown on the drawings and described her 8 at the respective mid-sections thereof which are in the specification, forming a part of the application. arranged to slide in the respective sockets or flutes 50, Reference is had to the accompanying drawings in While said collar member 8 is held secured on said hinged which the similar reference characters, denote the same g member thus allowing the @Xtended lower leg parts. I 0 tions 40, 42 and 44 to be spread triangularly for holding In the drawings: said stool seat plate 4 in position and for use. Each FIG. 1 shows a vertical side elevational vie of the leg end is provided with a suitable rubberized cap 46 for utility stool. preventing said stool from slipping when used and em- FIG. 2 shows the underside section of said utility stool, pl ye m th 0r P lish urfa staken from the bottom of FIG, 1, and howing th leg In structure said collecting collar member 8 is provided members in extended position. with a plurality of angularly disposed sockets or flutes FIG. 3 shows the utility stool in a slightly enlarged form 50, which are positioned conjointly at the center section and in a vertical position, showing the leg members held thereof, the number of flutes being equal to the number parallelly in place. of said leg members employed, said flutes conjointly FIG. 4 shows a vertically side view of the utility stool, positioned will allow said leg members to slide and intershowing same when taken from the right of FIG. 3. lock together and for causing said leg members to be 4 is also provided with a suitable hand slot or handle 10,

3 held at all times tightly and in an angular position, as shown. In close proximity to said tubular sleeve a suitable sliding bolt 52 is provided, allowing the outwardly extending end thereof to engage the tubular outer and upper section 54 of said tubular sleeve 20' and thereby holding and locking said leg member 6 when in a collapsed position, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

It may also be noted that said leg members 6 may, if so desired, be made telescoping and in sections, and be made extendable when required for securing a higher position for said stool seat plate 4, and that a suitable locking means may be provided therein for holding the extended telescoping leg members in place.

Also, in order to hold said leg members 6 in a collapsed position, said stool seat plate 4 is provided with a holding strap 56 for allowing a convenient handling of said stool when in collapsed position and not in use.

In operation, when it is desirous to use said stool 2 and when said stool is in a folded and collapsed position, said holding strap 56 is unfastened and then the sliding bolt 52 is removed from its engaging position, thereby allowing said supporting leg members 34 and 36 to slide upwardly toward the underside section 12 and into their outwardly spread positions, which is caused by the inward pull and force of said resilient members and the outward movement of said leg members 34 and 36 and which will also force said hinged leg member 22 into its proper position, while said collecting collar member 8 guides and holds said leg members 6 at their respective mid-sections 24, thereby allowing said stool to be made serviceable and for use.

For securing a pleasant appearance, said stool seat plate 4- may, if so desired, be provided with a suitable cloth or cushion covering, which is held thereon my means of an elastic band, as shown in FIG. 1.

In order to facilitate the manufacture of the utility stool, said leg members 6 are made entirely of a suitable tubing material as shown, while said seat plate 4 may be made out of wood or be formed and pressed out of light-in-weight material, thereby providing an article of manufacture which is not only inexpensive to produce in quantities, but also providing an article of manufacture that is pleasant in appearance, useful and easy to handle.

While I have thus described the invention with great particularity, it will be clear that the same may be modified throughout a wide range.

I accordingly do not propose to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown on the drawings and described in the specification, but reserve the rights in practice to make any and all necessary changes and modifications therein, which may come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a utility stool of the class described comprising in combination, a stool seat plate, a plurality of extendable leg members connected to and mounted at the underside surface section of said stool seat plate of which one leg member is hingedly secured thereto, said plurality of leg members extending downwardly and conjoining at their respective mid-sections, a collecting collar member secured to said hinged leg member and disposed at the mid-section thereof for conjoining said remaining extendable supporting leg members and for holding same in a tight conjoined position, a contractible resilient member in at least two of the upper ends of said plurality of leg members for holding same in position and against the underside surface section of said stool seat plate and when said utility stool is in use, and a locking bolt at the underside surface section of said stool seat plate positioned oppositely and in line with said hingedly secured leg member for holding said plurality of leg members in a parallelly extended position and locked in place when said utility stool is not in use.

2. In a utility stool of the class described, comprising the combination of, a stool seat plate made out of pliable material, depressions in the underside surface section of said stool seat plate, an anchor pin passing through each depression, a hinge member mounted at said underside surface section and disposed in equidistant position from said depressions, a tubular sleeve connected to said hinge member, a hinged and extendable leg member connected to said tubular sleeve and extending downwardly from said stool seat plate, a resilient member connected at one end thereof to each anchor pin and extending outwardly from its mounted position, a pair of extendable supporting leg members the upper end of each being connected to the respective extended end of said resilient member and held at a tension, for holding the upper end section of said extendable supporting leg members tightly and firmly in said depressions and against the underside surface section of said seat plate, a mid-section in said pair of extendable supporting leg members including said hinged and extendable leg member, for providing a common crossing point for said conjointly extendable leg members, a collecting collar means mounted on said hinged extendable leg member and disposed at said midsection thereof for receiving said pair of said extendable supporting leg members and for holding same at their respective mi d-sections in a conjoint position, a slidable bolt lock mounted at the underside surface section of said stool seat plate for engaging said tubular sleeve of said hingedly extendable leg member and for holding said remaining extendable leg members in a parallelly locked position when disengaged from their normally usable place and when said stool is not in use, and rubberized caps at the extended end of each extendable leg member for providing a surface grip and for preventing said utility stool from sliding over smooth surfaces.

3. In a utility stool of the class described comprising the combination, of a stool having a stool seat plate made of suitable material and thickness, a plurality of supporting leg members extendable to a suitable length and below said stool seat plate, wherein, one leg member being hingedly mounted at the underside surface section of said stool seat plate, a resiliently extendable and contractable member mounted at said underside surface section of said stool seat plate in equidistant position with relation to the remaining leg members and connecting each at the upper end thereof, a collecting collar mounted on said hingedly mounted leg member for slidably engaging and conjointly holding said remaining leg members in an interlocked position, and a sliding bolt mounted at said underside surface section of said stool seat plate for engaging said hingedly mounted leg member and thereby holding all of said leg members together in a parallelly extended and locked position when said stool is not in use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 315,680 Vandenburgh Apr. 14, 1885 560,907 Leger May 26, 1896 633,762 Kade Sept. 26, 1899 664,976 Shelfy et al. Jan. 1, 1901 2,542,040 MacLellan Feb. 20, 1951 2,710,733 Phillips June 14, 1955 2,780,030 Beebe Feb. 5, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,184 Austria Sept. 10, 1901 557,049 France Apr. 26, 1923 828,411 France Feb. 7, 19 38 

1. IN A UTILITY STOOL OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A STOOL SEAT PLATE, A PLURALITY OF EXTENDABLE LEG MEMBERS CONNECTED TO AND MOUNTED AT THE UNDERSIDE SURFACE SECTION OF SAID STOOL SEAT PLATE OF WHICH ONE LEG MEMBER IS HINGEDLY SECURED THERETO, SAID PLURALITY OF LEG MEMBERS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND CONJOINING AT THEIR RESPECTIVE MID-SECTIONS, A COLLECTING COLLAR MEMBER SECURED TO SAID HINGED LEG MEMBER AND DISPOSED AT THE MID-SECTION THEREOF FOR CONJOINING SAID REMAINING EXTENDABLE SUPPORTING LEG MEMBERS AND FOR HOLDING SAME IN A TIGHT CONJOINED POSITION, A CONTRACTIBLE RESILIENT MEMBER IN AT LEAST TWO OF THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID PLURALITY OF LEG MEMBERS FOR HOLDING SAME IN POSITION AND AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE SURFACE SECTION OF SAID STOOL SEAT PLATE AND WHEN SAID UTILITY STOOL IS IN USE, AND A LOCKING BOLT AT THE UNDERSIDE SURFACE SECTION OF SAID STOOL SEAT PLATE POSITIONED OPPOSITELY AND IN LINE WITH SAID HINGEDLY SECURED LEG MEMBER FOR HOLDING SAID PLURALITY OF LEG MEMBERS IN A PARALLELLY EXTENDED POSITION AND LOCKED IN PLACE WHEN SAID UTILITY STOOL IS NOT IN USE. 